Honest! I’m not Lion.

“Aren’t they all? Life doesn’t get any easier when you close your eyes.”

“Work?”

“Work.”

“Bothering you?”

“Just a bit.”

“What is it you do?”

“I’m a lion tamer.”

“Lion tamer my ****!”

“No, really.”

“Wow!”

“There’s not much call for us these days. There’s no more circuses, no safari parks, no great exhibitions, nothing. Times are hard.”

“Sure are. If we’re feeling the pinch, you must be.”

“Yup. It’s really beginning to bite.”

Author’s Note: Believe it or not, this is actually an almost true story from when I worked in retail. The smallest, meekest guy you could ever meet had this conversation with me. He used to wear a black suit at all times and a bowler hat. I thought he was talking out of it (as we say here) and not until an older and very honest colleague of mine confirmed his by then retired job, did I believe him.